Israel Slams French President Macron Over Hamas Remarks

Israel's Prime Minister's Office issued a rare and sharp condemnation of French President Emmanuel Macron following his remarks about Hamas activity in the West Bank. Macron stated at the UN General Assembly that Hamas "has never been particularly active in the West Bank," a comment that drew significant criticism in Jerusalem, especially after a deadly shooting attack just two days prior.

The Prime Minister's Office, in an English-language statement, called Macron's comments "grotesquely absurd," asserting they ignore the security reality and Hamas's attributed activities in the West Bank. The office specifically highlighted the recent murder of Natanel Shokron, a father of six and a French citizen, who was killed in a shooting attack while with his son near a spring in the West Bank, days before Yom Kippur. Reports indicate a terrorist opened fire on Shokron, killing him while his son escaped. Israeli forces later apprehended a suspect in the attack.

Israel's response emphasized the tragic moments of the attack, where Shokron reportedly told his son to flee in his final moments. Jerusalem used this incident to refute Macron's portrayal of Hamas's operational scope in the region. The Prime Minister's Office claimed Hamas has been involved for years in planning, directing, and encouraging attacks against Israelis in the West Bank, stating the organization's activity there is far from marginal.

The message from Jerusalem was particularly forceful, viewing Macron's statement not merely as a political disagreement or a different interpretation of security facts, but as an utterance that allegedly disregards Israeli terror victims. The statement declared, "Ignorance is no excuse for erasing the blood" of the victims, underscoring the intensity of Israel's criticism and the escalated tone towards the Élysée Palace.